Monday, August 12, 2013

The Pediatric
Healthcare Improvement Coalition - Tennessee
(PHIC-TN) is a community health partnership.
The purpose is to improve the pediatric health of all TennesseeValley
children. We are currently raising funds
to begin a four phase strategic planning initiative.

In Phase I, PHIC-TN plans to
complete an analysis of the Chattanooga
pediatric healthcare market. This will
include defining the region's population health needs and demographic
trends. The analysis will map market
share and quality of current ambulatory and in-patient offerings. It will also model future demographic shifts,
healthcare demand and the impact of healthcare reform.

Using the analysis in Phase
I, Phase II will call on community leaders to develop a vision for pediatric
healthcare. A series of presentation
forums and inclusive, participatory workshops will be used to bring community
stakeholders, medical industry leaders and providers together to plan future
goals. These meetings will lead to a
detailed plan for the development of a comprehensive care system over the next
five years. The final step of Phase II
will be a gap analysis of the difference between the coalition's vision and the
current pediatric healthcare resources.

Phase III will define
pragmatic, efficient and sustainable delivery models for the region's
comprehensive pediatric healthcare services.
This will include diagramming the options for local and regional
alignment of pediatric providers, medical service vendors, in-patient
facilities, community health-focused organizations, medical academics and
payers. The future vision of a
comprehensive pediatric network in Chattanooga
will be explored in terms of the integration of best practices, emerging
innovations, impact of health care reform and other financial and regulatory
pressures. In Phase III, similar
existing institutional examples will be cataloged. We will also project community infrastructure
modifications and/or expansion requirements.

Phase IV will complete a time
and cost accounting of proposed alignment, operating and care delivery
models. Physician and other provider
demand will be reconciled with resources and potential outcomes. The Coalition will define requirements and
capital costs of facility and other infrastructure needs. We will produce a detailed impact plan on
region healthcare outcomes. This impact
will be the basis of a development campaign to complete the community accepted
recommendations of the Coalition.

Once our strategic planning
campaign is complete, we will have a robust picture of our community and its
pediatric health challenges. Our health,
cultural, religious, education, business, and political leaders will have a
more singular view of the problems and potential solutions. This data will empower the development of a
cost-effective and efficient regional pediatric healthcare system. This long-term, comprehensive road map will
be resilient to the stress of current national changes as it meets the needs of
all of our region's children. Finally,
PHIC-TN will begin a development program to implement a pediatric provider
alignment, refine delivery of care systems and construct new facilities.

The Chattanooga
region's children are among the unhealthiest in Tennessee and the nation. Because of future progress based on this
project, our children and the system that cares for them can become an example
of community wellness. Our city is a
national leader in business development, natural beauty and cost of
living. It is time that we continue that
narrative of excellence in the story of our children's health. We have the health provider talent and
leadership, we have the community commitment, we have the philanthropic heart,
and we have the political leadership.
This project will provide a needed tool to congeal and energize these
components so that Chattanooga
can be what we desire: